Today in APIs: SmartBear Releases New Version of SoapUI Pro API Testing Kit

SmartBear's updated SoapUI Pro offers a plug in framework for testing. Yelp changes strategy on API call limits. Plus: Google Play Games can now save a played game for review, and AWS API key leads to cloud security breach.

SmartBear SoapUI Pro Now Allows Plug Ins for Testing Functionality

Smartbear has released an updated version of its SoapUI Pro, which contrary to what you might think has tools to fully test REST APIs.

API design and testing has become increasingly complicated in recent years with the advent of the API economy and the Internet of Things (IoT), both driving rapid development and adoption of APIs. The API technologies continue to evolve as well, creating a complex map of testing and development concerns. Being confined to out-of-the-box functionality for any development tool can force process and technology choices that are suboptimal for an organization. This is especially true in the world of APIs where the choices impact an organization’s ability to respond to market demands and evolving capabilities.

Smartbear's answer is to make plug-in architecture simple to use with annotation-based extension points in place of XML configuration files, along with providing automatic installation of third-party dependencies. Point and click testing for JSON is included along with a redesigned starter page with Quick launch links. Some features are highlighted by explanatory videos.

Yelp Raises API Call Limits to Better Compete with Foursquare, Google

In a move designed to court developers, Yelp has raised its call limit for data on local places, ratings, and photos from 100 calls per day to 25,000. This earlier straight jacket on limits came from a time when Yelp was afraid of being ripped off by the likes of Google, which was trying to use its reviews for free.

Previously, Yelp’s 100 call limit for unapproved developers looked oppressive compared to its competitors. Foursquare has a 5,000 calls per hour limit before approval, while Google Places has a free 100,000 calls per day limit if you’ve registered a credit card. Upping its limit makes Yelp easier to experiment with and integrate.

By essentially reversing course, it hopes to be able to convince more businesses to court more reviews, preserving its site as the place to go to get reviewed and to read them.